Cougar graduates were not permitted to wear achievement sashes during commencement, angry parents told the school board

Parent Connie Fake addresses the Palmyra Area school board on Thursday night about a district decision to restrict graduates from wearing FBLA sashes during this week's commencement exercises. (Chris Sholly — Lebanon Daily News)

This submitted photo shows the FBLA achievement sash that parents said Palmyra Area High School graduates were not permitted to wear during commencement, held Tuesday at Lebanon Valley College. (Submitted)

PALMYRA &GT;&GT; After listening to concerns from parents Thursday night, the Palmyra Area school board asked staff members to develop a written protocol on what embellishments students will be allowed to wear at its graduation ceremonies.

Palmyra held its graduation ceremony at Lebanon Valley College on Tuesday night. But before the ceremony, several students who were members of the Future Business Leaders of America put gold sashes over their gowns, signifying their national achievements in the group.

Parent Connie Fake told the board that, moments before the ceremony began, high school Principal Benjamin Ruby told these students to remove them because the sashes were not among those recognized by the district at graduation. She added that students who attended the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center also were told earlier to remove their achievement sashes.

During graduation ceremonies, the district currently allows sashes that represent the National Honor Society, highest honors and honors, as well as the military, according to Superintendent Lisa Brown.

But Fake told the board there were FBLA students at graduation wearing cords that signified their state achievements.

Fake said the club's adviser, Lisa Smith, received permission from district officials in 2010 for FBLA members to wear the sashes and cords.

"For the past four years, students belonging to the school's FBLA chapter have been allowed to wear the organization's sash during graduation," said Fake, whose son, Derek, was one of four club members asked to remove the sashes.

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"These students felt they were being punished for their accomplishments," Fake said, asking that Ruby apologize to the students.

"We feel this has placed a shadow on what could have a joyous occasion this week for the boys and for the families," parent DeAnna Williams told the board. "Instead, it's been a very stressful week with meetings, emails, interviews and discussions about whether these students were humiliated and stripped of other items just prior to graduation."

Williams also asked the board to establish a definitive dress code for graduation so the same incident does not happen again.

"And if these students have earned these rights, that they're allowed to wear them at graduation," she added.

Fake said she believes the policy is inconsistent, showing the board several photos from past graduations and this year's ceremony where students were wearing various sashes, including those the graduating seniors were asked to remove.

"The bottom line is it's not whether or not they wore it, it's the manner in which it was conducted," she said. "What we found was that there were no policies, no protocol, and that's something that needs to be established."

Fake said the parents also wanted assurances from the district that future graduates are allowed to wear sashes for their achievements.

Brown said the district's decision was based on what it had been told was past practice and that school administrators also had told the Robotics team it could not wear its sashes.

Brown said she realized this is a protocol administrators will have to work on.

"There was no ill will toward any group," she said, adding that she and Ruby did not know that FBLA members were allowed to wear the sashes at previous graduations. "We reacted with the information that we had at the time and tried to make a decision that was consistent for all students."

Brown said she did not see the cords that were worn by other FBLA students.